ATLANTA—Eight members of a traveling robbery crew—based out of Detroit, Michigan, and linked to jewelry store robberies in several states—have been sentenced to federal prison for their roles in the June 2013 smash-and-grab robbery of the Mayors Jewelry Store in Lenox Square Mall, in Atlanta, Georgia.

“These defendants traveled the country searching for the most expensive jewelry stores to rob,” said U.S. Attorney John Horn. “They used sledgehammers during business hours to terrify store employees, smash open display cases, and steal jewelry to sell on the black market. The arrest and conviction of this crew has prevented an untold number of additional smash-and-grab robberies of jewelry stores on the eastern half of the United States.”

“The FBI is pleased to now have this violent and prolific robbery crew off of our streets. Their violent tactics during these robberies, to include the 2013 robbery at a Lenox Mall based jewelry store in Atlanta, illustrated a complete disregard for the safety of the public. We are appreciative of the hard work and dedication of the many investigators and prosecutors who stayed the course of this extensive and lengthy investigation,” said J. Britt Johnson, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Atlanta Field Office.

According to U.S. Attorney Horn, the charges, and other information presented in court; the robbery crew consisted of eight individuals, all from Detroit, and each of whom has been convicted and sentenced to federal prison time: Damien Gayles, Kamauri Kennedy, Corey Burrows, Allen Adams, Lorenzo Terry, Anthony Hill, Jason Arnold, and Jasmine Dozier. The crew was led by Kenneth Thomas, now deceased. Several members of the crew are linked to similar jewelry store robberies in Michigan, Virginia, Florida, and elsewhere.

In June 2013, the robbery crew planned to travel from Detroit to Atlanta specifically to commit a “smash-and-grab” style robbery, using sledgehammers, of the Mayors Jewelry Store, in Atlanta, Georgia. Mayors, a high-end retail chain based in Florida, has locations in several states that offer a wide selection of Rolex watches. The robbers’ plan was to steal the watches and return to Detroit, where they could be sold to “fences,” or dishonest jewelry dealers via unreported cash transactions. The fences would then sell the stolen merchandise on the black market, including to buyers overseas.

Thomas, Gayles, Kennedy, and Dozier planned the robbery mission, identified the location to be robbed, conducted surveillance of the store prior to the robbery, and acquired the hammers, vehicles, and other materials needed to commit the crime. Terry, Hill, Burrows, Adams, and Arnold were recruited by the planners to actually commit the smash-and-grab robbery. Burrows and Adams were selected to wield the sledgehammers, due to their larger physical size. Terry, Hill, and Arnold were selected to grab the watches after Burrows and Adams bashed open the display cases.

On June 21, 2013, Burrows, Adams, Terry, Hill, and Arnold entered the Mayors Jewelry Store, in Lenox Square Mall, during business hours in order to rob it. Burrows and Adams concealed sledgehammers in their pants, and then used the sledgehammers to smash open the store’s glass display cases. Hill, Terry, Adams, and Arnold grabbed and stole approximately 19 Rolex watches from the smashed display cases, valued between $25,000 and $65,000 each, and fled the store with the stolen merchandise. The total retail value of the stolen property was approximately $637,600. Kennedy and Dozier served as getaway drivers afterwards. Gayles and Thomas took control of most of the stolen watches and paid their co-conspirators for their efforts. They then sold several of the watches to fences in Detroit.

Using a variety of investigative means, FBI eventually identified the perpetrators of the robbery, who were also suspects in other similar robberies that had occurred throughout the country. In July 2013, Thomas and several other members of the robbery crew were stopped just outside a high-end mall in Aventura, Florida, as they approached that mall in order to commit another smash-and-grab robbery of a jewelry store. Thomas was placed under arrest. FBI’s efforts subsequently led to several indictments and the conviction of these eight defendants.

The following five defendants pleaded guilty to interfering with commerce by robbery, and/or conspiring to interfere with commerce by robbery, and were sentenced by U.S. District Judge Thomas W. Thrash as follows:

Corey Burrows, 27, was sentenced on September 3, 2015, to four years, three months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $276,465. Burrows was convicted of these charges on May 26, 2015.

Jasmine Dozier, 26, was sentenced on May 6, 2015, to two years, three months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $276,465. Dozier was convicted of these charges on February 27, 2015.

Damien Gayles, 25, was sentenced was sentenced on March 2, 2015, to seven years, eight months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $276,465. Gayles was convicted of these charges on October 10, 2014.

Allen Adams, 28, was sentenced on November 10, 2014, to four years, three months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $276,465. Adams was convicted of these charges on August 22, 2014.

Kamauri Kennedy, 26, was sentenced on September 9, 2014, to five years, ten months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $276,465. Kennedy was convicted of these charges on June 17, 2014.

The following three defendants pleaded guilty to interfering with commerce by robbery, and/or conspiring to interfere with commerce by robbery, and were sentenced by U.S. District Judges in the Eastern District of Michigan, as follows:

Lorenzo Terry, 22, was sentenced on December 9, 2015, to four years in prison, by Judge David Lawson, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $276,465. Terry was convicted of these charges on August 5, 2015.

Anthony Hill, 26, was sentenced on August 25, 2015, to four years, nine months in prison, by Chief Judge Gerald E. Rosen, to be followed by two years of supervised release, and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $276,465. Hill was convicted of these charges on May 19, 2015.

Jason Arnold, 21, was sentenced on May 20, 2015, to three years in prison, by Chief Judge Gerald E. Rosen, to be followed by two years of supervised release, and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $276,465. Arnold was convicted of these charges on November 14, 2014.

This case was investigated by Special Agent Paul Szabo and Task Force Officer William Kimball Murdock of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the Atlanta Police Department.

Assistant United States Attorneys John S. Ghose and Brent Alan Gray prosecuted the case.